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Bankers Take on GoRuck Challenge Again

“Mind over matter” is sometimes easier said than done, especially when you know what kind of challenges you’re going to be facing, but that’s not stopping Gulf Coast Bank’s Joe DiTommaso and Paul Catalano. Last year, the two successfully completed the “tough” level GoRuck Challenge over Veterans Day weekend, and they’ve decided to take on the challenge again! This year, the event will be held on October 27 and will be Halloween themed. The two bankers will join their fellow GoRuckers in costumes for the 12-hour event as they hike 15-20 miles throughout the city, carrying various loads and taking part in several group exercises.

GoRuck, founded in 2008 by former Green Beret Jason McCarthy, began as a gear company with the goal of providing top-quality, military-grade gear designed and manufactured in America with American labor and materials. In 2010, GoRuck launched its first Challenge event designed to incorporate Special Forces training and teambuilding to bridge the gap between the civilian and military worlds. These special events are constructed to build a sense of camaraderie that so many in the armed forces miss once they leave active duty, as well as creating an environment where people can push themselves past what they think are their physical and mental limits. Held all over the world, the challenges vary in intensity and layout.

This year, Joe and Paul, both Veterans, are especially looking forward to one of their good friends, a civilian with no prior GoRuck experience, joining them for the Challenge, noting that there is a special bond created when participating in a mentally and physically taxing event like this. Paul actually completed his first GoRuck event a few years ago on his own, and while he noted that he got to know the people he was joining that year, it’s not quite the same as doing this sort of thing with people who are a part of one’s everyday life.

Though both men have participated in GoRuck events before, they don’t quite know what to expect this year. Each Challenge is unique in that it is led by a different Special Forces Cadre with his or her own style of leadership and design for the event. One thing remains constant though: the encouragement that everyone to finish as a team. Leaders push participants to break their own personal boundaries. “They strive to make sure everyone finishes,” Paul said. “It’s more mental than anything else.”

Joe echoed this sentiment. “Your body is capable of so much more than your mind will allow. It comes down to pushing through that.” The two began discussing this year’s event as they were driving away from last year’s finish line. They were able to push through in 2016, and they’re both excited to take on the obstacles ahead with the 2017 Challenge.